Tag: ambition

Editor’s Note: I originally ran this post back in March. November is shaping up to be a challenging month and with everything we’re trying to accomplish during our 40th year, we need to be reminded that every “No” gets us that much closer to our “Yes.”

I made a phone call last week. Not just any phone call. I called a publicist to set up an interview with a celebrity who’s recently turned 40. I’ve been putting it off for months. Why? I was afraid they’d tell me no.

I envy the way the word “no” rolls off the backs of most men. I’ve watched them after hearing the word no, scooping themselves up, dusting themselves off and moving on to the next woman, business or project, intuitively understanding that each “no” gets them that much closer to their “YES!”

But for me, and I suspect many women, a simple “no, she’s currently unavailable to interview with you” turns into something along the lines of “NO, you’re not worth our time or effort, and what you’re trying to accomplish is ridiculous, and who in the world do you think you are anyway?!?” Whew! That’s an awful lot to of negativity to pack into a simple two letter word. But oh what power we give the word “no!”